


1138 Lucas Drive; Modesto, California

by AlienofDoom



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Homelessness, Kinda Finnrey, Rey Skywalker, also though not -explicit-, but it's not explicit, for like a single night or so, maybe? - Freeform, road trip au, there's a lot of uncertainty in this fic okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8834317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienofDoom/pseuds/AlienofDoom
Summary: Luke Skywalker1138 Lucas DriveModesto, CAThat's all Rey has. Just an address. An address and a feeling that this here is where she has to make a choice. *Now* is when she has to decide whether to stay in Plutt's "care" or go off into the unknown.It's not really that hard of a decision.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So sure, I don't have any *legal* ownership of Star Wars, but really doesn't it belong to all of us? Besides, I made these words, so that counts for something, right?

**Part 1 - Departure**

Rey flips over again and grinds her head into the pillow, trying to force herself to sleep. It isn't really working and she already knows how this is going to end. Four nights in a row now she's had this problem. Flipping, turning. She knows that the others have noticed, but as per the unspoken rules, it was her problem to solve, not theirs.

As she hears the seconds tick by though, she knows it's a lost cause. Just like the previous night, and the night before that. She lifts up the corner of her mattress and pulls out the scrap of paper she'd stashed there as soon as she realised what it was.

 

_Luke Skywalker_

_1138 Lucas Drive_

_Modesto, CA_

 

It's the only clue she has. Just a name and an address. A week ago should would have killed just for this, but now it seems painfully insufficient. She stares at it, willing it to divulge deeper secrets. Of course it does nothing of the sort. It just sits there in her palm, uselessly.

Something changes in her in that moment. Some fire lights inside her and she _has_ to act. There's barely any thought involved, but before she knows what's going on, she's shoving clothes into a bag that's she's not quite sure the origin of.

Now the others aren't even pretending disinterest; they haven't gotten up from their beds, but the barely-whispering that they're doing is clearly audible. Rey shoots a particularly acidic look at Snap and Karé when she catches a “Knew she'd crack” coming from that corner of the room.

She doesn't say anything though. She just hoists the pack and picks her way towards the door, pausing only slightly to listen and make sure Plutt isn't right outside waiting to snag her.

Hearing nothing, she eases open the door and creeps down the hallway. She can still hear the faint whispers of the other children and at this point can only hope that they stay quiet long enough to make it out of the city. She knows that if she makes it hard enough for Plutt to find her, he won't even really try. Oh, sure he'd wail for the news crews and make the appropriate protestations, but deep down Rey knows that he'd just be happy to be rid of her.

She's out of the house and... and things are just wonderful. The breeze that's playing down the street is just the right kind of chilly that feels good after being locked up in that stuffy house almost all day long. The slice of the moon that there is shines brightly against the utter black of a city night.

Rey just stops walking for a second. She takes a deep breath in through her nose and relishes in the crisp sting. It's in this second where she's stopped walking – and in fact _because_ she stopped walking – that the man runs into her.

They both go tumbling to the pavement; though fortunately the man hadn't been going very fast, barely even a light jog, and the two of them are relatively unscathed by the experience. Almost immediately the man (though Rey makes a note to revise that assumption, he looks only a couple years older than herself) is back on his feet and offering her a hand to help her up.

Pretending not to see the hand, Rey gets up on her own and wipes the grit off her palms onto her jeans.

The boy seems unsure of what to do in such a situation and he just keeps his hand jutting out, “Uhhh, sorry about that. My name is. My name's Finn.” Seeming to finally notice the state of his hand he quickly shoves it into a pocket.

Rey herself wasn't quite sure what to do, she hadn't often run (literally) into strangers on the street in the dead of night less than half-an-hour after becoming an honest-to-goodness runaway. In the end she settled on introducing herself as well, “Rey. That is, that's my name. Rey.”

Finn's face lights up (or was that just the moon reflecting particularly well off his beautifully smooth skin?). Rey shakes her head.

“So?” Finn asks and Rey realises that she has somehow managed to miss the entirety of some question he's posed to her.

“Uhhhh... yes?”

Finn laughs. It starts rather quiet, but quickly grows. And to be honest, it's not even a pretty laugh. It's not one of those laughs you hear in the movies that's like a booming bell or the sound of a heavy wave hitting the hard wood of a sailing ship. Rather, it's more akin to the sound an overinflated balloon makes if you hold the end and slowly let the air squeak its way out.

Rey can't help herself and soon enough she's laughing too. And it's just the two of them, standing there in the middle of the night laughing their heads off at some joke that she's pretty sure neither of them really understands. His wheezing balloon and her dying seal mixing together to form a laugh which is (somehow) even more distressing than either individually would be.

Rey recovers a bit faster than Finn, catching her breath in great gulps. “I'm sorry, really I am,” she says. “What was it I was agreeing to there?”

With a bit of the laughter still in his voice Finn repeats his question, “What'd you see that was so interesting you stopped?”

Rey blushes a bit, “It's silly, really. You probably don't want to know.”

“But then why would I have asked?”

Rey buries her face in her hand to stop another laughing session before it can begin, “Okay. Okay. To be completely honest, it was the Moon,” she points up at the sky.

Finn follows her finger up, “Yes. Yup indeed. That is the Moon.” He looks back down at her, “Is there any particular reason the uhhh... Moon caught your eye tonight?”

Rey shrugs, “I don't know. It's just so... bright I guess.”

Finn's eyes twinkle and Rey gets the impression that he's working to stop laughter from overwhelming himself as well, “Well, I can't really argue with that. Now can I?”

Something on the ground seems to catch Finn's eye at that moment. A quizzical look passes over his face as he bends down to pick it up off the sidewalk. He looks at it before casting a new eye at her. Rey only realises what it is about a second before he hands it over to her, “Is uhh... Is this yours?”

She quickly snatches the scrap of paper from his hand and tucks it into her pocket, “Yes.”

Finn raises his eyebrows, “Umm... okay, then.” He pauses for a second, “Are you planning on going there? To Modesto?”

Rey's face clamps down, “I don't see how that's any of your business really.”

Finn throws up his hands, “Hey. Didn't mean no harm. Just was wondering if you, you know, had a plan . Because my... uncle lives out that way and it's not really a short trip.”

“And?”

“I was just wondering if you maybe wanted some company, that's all.” His face scrunches up as he realises something, “Oh God. I swear I'm not like a creeper or anything. Seriously, all I'm saying is that I was going out to the Modesto-area myself tomorrow, and I though I'd offer you a lift.”

Rey hesitated. It... it wasn't the worst plan. It'd be faster than walking, or just regular hitchhiking. And Finn didn't seem likely to kill her and stuff her body in the trunk of his car (though, she thought, he wouldn't would he?).

“I... I couldn't pay you or anything. I don't have any money.”

And there was Finn's smile again, “Like I said, going out there anyway. Wouldn't be out of my way at all.”

Rey shoots him her best side-eye, before offering her hand. Finn grabs it and gives Rey probably the hardest handshake she's ever received (not that she's really shaken that many hands). “It's a deal then,” he says. He takes out a piece of paper and scrawls an address down on it. “This is the bus stop nearest my apartment. I'll pick you up there around,” he checks his phone, “Eight-ish? Does that work for you?”

Rey accepts the piece of paper. She knows that bus stop, it's not too far from Plutt's place actually. Rey finds herself nodding, “Yeah, eight works for me.”

One last time, Finn gives Rey a smile, “Okay then. I'll see you at eight!” And then he's off again, jogging... somewhere.

Rey puts the new piece of paper in her pocket along with Luke's address and starts making her way to the bus stop Finn had mentioned. She should be able to make it there by five or so, and that would give her plenty of time to use some of the little change she had saved up for a bag of chips or something from the vending machine for breakfast.

Rey's stomach rumbles, she could really use something for breakfast.

 

**Part 2 – Drive**

Rey manages to get her breakfast (her reasoning being that, Cheeze Puffs or not, anything eaten before ten was breakfast) with plenty of time to spare before Finn said he'd show up. She spends most of that time looking at the scrap of paper with Luke's address on it. She'd only had it for a couple of days and already the pencil marks were starting to smear.

Rey sighs. It wasn't really that she'd need the paper much longer, but it still held some sentimental value. This was it. This was really it. Ever since she'd swiped the scrap of paper from Plutt's stash, actually meeting her father had become a much more realistic possibility. She'd alternately anticipated, dreaded, and _needed_ this to happen for years. But now.... Now this was it.

She closes her eyes and sucks in a full lungful of air. The acrid smokiness that's inherent in city air notwithstanding, it's invigorating.  
  
She's pulled out of her ruminations by the sound of a wheezy car horn. She opens her eyes again, and there Finn is. Just as luminescent and happy now as he had been several hours ago. His smile still sparkles and his – Rey shakes her head to clear such things from her mind. Beside Finn though someone else was driving the (now that she looks at it) somewhat dilapidated car. He was on the shorter side, but clearly several years older than either of the two of them.  
  
Finn sticks his head out of the window. “This is Poe, he shall be our driver tod- Hey!” he says as Poe (apparently) whacks him playfully on the shoulder.

As was seemingly already becoming a pattern with them, Rey can't help but let a small laugh slip out of her. It feels good. Laughing. She hadn't ever really had much of a reason or an excuse to laugh while under Plutt's roof. Somehow Finn's smile grows even more at her laughter and she gives a full arm wave as she hoists her backpack higher on her shoulders and makes her way towards the vehicle.

The back door opens easy enough for Rey and she slips her pack off her shoulder and onto the seat next to her as she climbs in. Poe turns around, slinging his arm behind Finn's seat as he looks at Rey, “So.”

Rey waits a moment for him to continue but he doesn't. She gives a small cough. Another couple of awkward seconds pass before Rey notices the look Finn's giving his friend. Some mixture of confusion and embarrassment if she's reading him correctly, “Poe. What are you doing?”

Poe rolls his head around to look at Finn, “Just making sure your new friend here isn't you know. One of those types to kill us and stash our various body parts in various states.”

Finn's look deepens on both axes of discomfort, “Really, Poe.” He pauses slightly for emphasis, “Really?”

Poe shrugs, “Eh, she seems fine. You know, probably'll let us keep all our internal organs all... internal and the like.” And for the first time he shoots a smile at Rey.

Still very confused by all of this, Rey almost gets out of the car at that moment, but then she thinks about how long she could survive here in the city on her own, or (even worse) what it'd feel like to slink back to Plutt after the way she'd left.

And anyways, she reasons, Finn seems just as weirded-out by his friend as she was. But they _were_ friends, so Poe was probably fine to trust.

Poe moves the car out of park and pulls (somewhat shakily and Rey isn't sure if it's Poe or the car that's the reason why) away from the stop. “It'll be a couple of hours 'till we hit Modesto, so if you know any good travelling games I'd start now.”

Finn jumps in at that point, “Oh! How about we trade stories, that always good for a bit. For instance,” he says twisting around again, “Any more interesting stories about the Moon, that I've missed out on?”

Rey looks out the window to hide her smile. They slowly start moving out of the areas of the city she's familiar with, “No. Not really. How about you though? Not to... uhhh... not to be ungrateful or anything, but what's Poe doing here? I thought you'd be driving.”  
  
Finn grimaces while Poe laughs. “What Finn here handily forgot was that the whole reason he's headed to Modesto at all it that we're going to see _my_ parents. As much as they love him, I can't help but hope that they'd be a bit put out if he showed up without me.”

“No! I didn't forget. It just...”

“It just what, Finn?” There's definitely a hint of amusement in Poe's voice.  
  


“Slipped my mind,” Finn finishes timidly.

Poe laughs again and Rey can't help but join him. Maybe he's not so bad. Just a warped sense of humour perhaps.

Poe starts again, “Yeah, my parents moved out to the area about a decade ago and since it's not a terrible drive I tend to go out every couple of month to visit. Finn tagged along once, and my parents fell in love, so he gets to come too.”

“And, uhh... how did you and Finn meet?”

“Roomates,” the two men say at almost exactly the same time. They share a quick smile before Finn continues. “It was my Freshman year, Poe's uhh...” he thinks for a second, “Fifth?” Poe nods. “Yeah, Poe's fifth year, and somehow we ended up dorming together. Hit it off pretty quick. Even though Poe graduated at the end of the year, we still hang out a lot.” Finn smiles, “It helps that his family practically adopted me.”

Rey can only imagine what that'd be like, for a long time she'd imagined something like that. A kind family coming by and taking her away. In her most very private moments it was _her_ family. Come back from wherever they went to rescue her. Of course, though they never did.

For all those years she'd been stuck at Plutt's and eventually those dreams faded away. Some small part of her wanted to hate Finn for the ease with which he had seemingly ingratiated himself with Poe's family, but... she couldn't do it.

Poe was the next to ask a question, “So, Rey. Why're you going to Modesto?”

For a split second, Rey thought about lying. About making something up or telling him to drop it. It didn't really matter though, she reasoned. Finn had already seen the address – that had been the start of this whole thing in the first place.

“My father. Or, rather I guess, the guy I think might be my father.” Finn sits up a little straighter at that.

“Wait. Wait wait wait! You can't just leave it all mysterious and stuff like that!”

Even Poe looks interested at this point. “I... I never really knew my family,” Rey starts. “As far back as I can actually remember I lived in Unkar Plutt's 'Home for Orphans', he was never really one for fancy names... or personal hygiene. I always knew that my family was out there though. I... I don't know exactly _how_ I knew, but I did.

“Plutt had files on all of us there. Most of the stuff was boring. Heights, allowed rations, governmental papers and the like. But, last week I was cleaning his office and I thought 'Hey. Why not?' you know. So I took a peek, and...” she reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper, “This was in there.” She passed the address to Finn. “Again I don't know how I knew this Luke Skywalker was my father, but... I did. You know?”

Finn looks like he's about to say something when the car makes an ungodly screeching sound and jerks hard to the left. He quickly steadies himself on the centre console and looks to Poe who's fighting the wheel for control. He seems to quickly realise though that it's a losing battle, probably, Rey surmises, from the great billows of smoke that are belching out from beneath the hood.

Poe turns the hazard lights on and pulls off onto the shoulder. “Umm... that's not my fault.”

It's a much more casual tone than Rey would have expected. “Does this... uhhh... Does this happen often?”

Poe looks back at her, “No?” He unbuckles his seatbelt, “I'm going to take a look at the engine, see if I can't figure out what's wrong.”

Rey perks up, and scrambles to release her own belt, “Wait for me! I can help!” At Finn's questioning glance she continues, “Plutt wasn't one for very exciting entertainment around the home. Lots of dictionaries, lots of cook books. Lots of engineering textbooks.” She shrugs, “It was marginally better than nothing, and I like to think that I learned a fair bit.”

Poe runs a hand through his hair, “Sure. Why not?” He makes his way around to the front of the car and pops open the hood, coughing and trying to wave away the worst of the smoke. He peers as well as he can through the mess. “Umm... yeah. As far as I can tell the problem here is that the engine is... uhhh... smoking.”

Rey smiles and shakes her head as she looks over Poe's shoulder. The smoke _is_ clearing by now and she can make out most inner workings. “Ohh! I know what the problem is!” Poe looks at her. She points at the problem area careful not to touch the still hot metal, “See here? You've busted your... part.”

Now it's Poe's turn to smirk, “Ahh, yes. The 'part'. I should have ordered a new one years ago.”

Rey crosses her arms over her chest, “Well, yes. Sorry I don't remember the name of every doodad or bit of your car. But it's obviously broken.”

Poe leans in a bit, “I... think that's the air filter. Yeah,” he runs a hand down his face, “Great.” He pulls a phone out of his pocket and quickly dials a number. After a couple of seconds he starts talking, “Yeah. Hey, Mom. We're gonna be a bit late. Old BeeBee's busted an air filter. Yeah, Finn's here too obviously.” Finn shouts a greeting out the car's window. “Yeah. I don't think we'll be too late. Just need a new filter.” He looks at Rey and she eagerly nods, “Yeah. I'll call you when we're on our way. I don't think it'll be too long. Bye, Mom.”

They devise a plan and Poe grabs a ride from a passing truck into the nearest city where he buys a new filter. It takes a couple of hours but Finn and Rey pass the time mostly in silence. Rey finds it comforting. It's a different sort of silence than the oppresive, enforced variety that rules Plutt's. This is a warm silence. No one is talking because they don't _want_ to, not because they can't.

Eventually though, Poe returns with the part, and Rey makes quick work of the installation. With the car finally fixed, they all pile back in, and Poe pulls his way back onto the highway. “Next stop,” he says, “Modesto!”

 

**Part 3 – Destination**

While they're waiting at a red light about four minutes after getting off the highway in Modesto, Poe speaks up. “Okay, I know this wasn't probably what you had in mind, but I'm thinking that it's probably best if you don't try to talk to your probable old-man at,” he glances at his phone, “9:45 at night.”

Rey grimaces, but nods. “So I'm thinking,” he continues, “That we go to my parents' place – don't worry, they'll love you – and then in the morning I'll drive you over and you can get at it all rested up.”

Rey mulls it over in her head. It makes sense, but... but despite all the glowing recommendations from both Poe and Finn, she doesn't want to meet his parents. It'd feel wrong somehow, she thinks. Like she's trying to replace Luke. Like she doesn't _actually_ care about what he'd think, what he'd say.

Finn puts a hand very cautiously on her shoulder. “Rey,” and for the first time his face seems devoid of a smile or humour, “Trust me. It'll be fine. Luke'll still be there in the morning.”

Shakily she nods, “Okay. If that's what you think is best.” She gives him an only slightly forced smile, “I trust you.” And just like that, Finn's smile is bac and brighter than ever before.

“Okay then! It's settled!” He slaps the back of Poe's seat, “Let's go!”

It doesn't take long from where they are to get to Poe's parents' house. It's a nice place, Rey thinks. Small perhaps, but stylish. The front facade is all cut stone and even if you look past the lack of weeds or grime, it seems clean in a way that the Home never had.

Poe and Finn are out of the car before the engine has even finished cycling, but Rey's much slower about things. Poe's jumping the steps up to the front door when Finn looks back and sees Rey still sitting in the car; he slowly makes his way back over.

“Hey. Like I said, it's alright.”

Again, all Rey can do is offer a small smile. She opens the car door, but doesn't stand up. This... this is harder than she'd anticipated. She closes her eyes and attempts to centre herself. When she opens them again, the first thing she sees is Finn's hand.

Her smile this time comes much more naturally. She takes his hand and he pulls her to her feet. “Come on. They'll love you.”

The two of them make their way up to the door to stand by Poe, just in time for the door to open and a middle aged woman to stand before them. She quickly pulls Poe into a hug that Poe fully reciprocates. “Hey, Mom.”

Poe's mother lets go of her son and turns to Finn, “Finn! It's good to see you again!”

Finn moves in for a hug too, and again that feeling that she should hate him unnaturally crawls in Rey's gut for half-a-second. “Hey, Ms. Bey! How've you been.”

Ms. Bey claps Finn on the back, “Good. Good. We've both been great,” her eyes then catch Rey standing slightly behind Finn. She raises her eyebrows, “And who would this be?”

While Rey shrinks back slightly Poe speaks up, “This is Rey. She needed a ride, and Finn offered her a lift. Given the... uhhh... time, we thought it wouldn't be a problem if she stayed the night?”

Ms. Bey breaks out into a smile, “Oh, of course not!” She offers a hand to Rey who, very tentatively takes it, “If you must insist on formalities like Finn over here,” she gestures with her head and Finn blushes slightly, “I'm Ms. Bey. Otherwise feel free to call me Shara.”

Rey meekly shakes her hand, but quickly drops it. “Come in. Come in all of you,” Ms. Bey opens the door wider and waves the three of them inside.

Inside, Rey's impression of a stylish and cozy house continues. There are plants all over the place. She sees several varieties of flowers, an ivy, and what's she's pretty sure is a cutting from a larger tree. Also inside though, is a man much the same age as Ms. Bey who also pulls both Poe and Finn into deep hugs.

This time it's Finn who makes the introductions, “Mr. Dameron, this is our new friend Rey.” Poe's father doesn't make any move towards Rey, he only nods in recognition. Rey's somewhat thankful for that. She thinks that she's had enough of touching people today.

He does talk to the room at large though, “I'm glad I caught you all before I headed up to bed myself. Poe, your room is still available. Finn and Rey, we have a guest bedroom and I can pull out the couch. I'll let you decide who gets what.”

Rey quickly lets Finn know that he's more than welcome to take the guest bedroom, really, she would actually _rather_ have the couch, no really.

Eventually Finn seems to understand and he heads off to the guest bedroom with a casual “Goodnight” and a wave.

That settled, Rey accepts the blankets from Mr. Dameron, and settles herself down on the couch. As it seems is her new usual though, Rey doesn't fall asleep right away. She just lies there, thinking. Perhaps that is her problem though, she wonders, maybe she just thinks too much.

But how can she not think about tomorrow. How can she just walk up to someone and say, “Hey. I might be your daughter”? Just like the previous night, she pulls out the slip of paper and looks at the name on it. _Skywalker_. She'd never had a family name before. She'd always just been Rey. All the other kids had last names. Snap had been a Wexley, Ello (even though she couldn't remember his real name) had been an Atsey. All of them. Except for her. She had just been Rey.

Eventually she decides that she'd not getting any sleep any time soon so she throws off the blanket and makes her way into the kitchen. She sits on a stool at the counter and drops her head onto the cool counter.

She's not sure how long she sits like that. She may have drifted off for a bit, but she'd not exactly sure. It's only when she hears someone behind her clear their throat that she comes back into awareness of her surroundings.

“Hey, Rey. Couldn't sleep?” Mr. Dameron walks into Rey's view. Rey can only shrug.

“I guess.”

Mr. Dameron opens the fridge and pulls out a pitcher of orange juice. He pours a glass and then sets it down in front of Rey before pouring himself one of his own. “Anything that you need to get off your chest?”

She shrugs again. Before she knows what she's doing though, she pulls out the piece of paper and sets it on the counter. Mr. Dameron walks over and picks it up. He looks up at her, “This why you came to Modesto?” She nods. “Any particular significance to who this man is?”

“I... I think he might be my father.”

“And what? Nervous to meet him?”

Another shrug. “Yeah... I guess.”

Mr. Dameron takes the stool next to hers, “I don't really know you Rey. But my son seems to think you're alright, and Finn thinks perhaps a bit more than that.” A blush rises to Rey's cheeks, “I trust their judgement more than I trust my own most days.” He lifts his own glass and takes a sip, “I can't promise that everything will be alright. I can't promise that this man will be your father, or that he'll be a good one even if he is.” He looks at her, “But know that family isn't just who you're related to. My wife and I only first met Finn a couple years ago, but there's no doubt in my heart that he's part of this family. Just as much as Poe, he's our son now. Just... just remember that.”

He finishes his drink and leaves her alone in the kitchen to think. She slowly finishes her own juice before heading back to the couch. Sleep still doesn't come easily, but eventually it does, and she doesn't dream.

They make time in the morning for breakfast, but it's still rather early when they set off for Luke's house. Rey would have been fine with walking, but neither Finn nor Poe would hear of it.

And so it was that the car pulls up outside the house with _1138_ printed on the mailbox. Before she realises it, she's out of the car and about halfway up the tiled path. Her knees are shaking and she can't remember when that started. She turns back to look at Finn, who's urgently waving her forward, and Poe, who's giving her an enthusiastic double thumbs up.

The next steps are harder. And each subsequent step only increases in difficulty. Somehow after an eternity that didn't last nearly long enough, she finds herself at the front door. She resists the urge to look back again. This is for her, this is now. One last time she takes the scrap of paper out of her pocket.

She closes her eyes and crumples the paper it in a fist. She knocks on the door.

**Author's Note:**

> If for some reason or another you actually read that entire thing, feel free to join me over on Tumblr @fandomhorse. For some reason or another I have an inkling I'll be passing along a lot of Star Wars stuff in the near future (It's Rogue One. Rogue One is the reason why)


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